


Actions Speak Louder

by gay_for_rey1999



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: A little bit of angst, Deaf Character, F/M, Growing Up Together, Inspired by original pilot script, It earns the M rating in like chapter 7, Lots of time jumps, deaf jughead, lots of fluff, supportive betty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-24
Packaged: 2019-04-04 11:27:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14019267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gay_for_rey1999/pseuds/gay_for_rey1999
Summary: When 5 year old Betty Cooper meets Jughead Jones, she is instantly smitten. Her new friend looks like a prince in his crown hat, and has cool things in his ears to help him hear. When Reggie Mantle makes them kiss, it just seals the deal for her, and from then on, she has eyes only for him





	1. Meet Cute

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back, baby! This is going to be a pretty long note so you can skip past if you want.  
> First, this story will mostly be through Betty's POV. Only one part is Jughead. I am not deaf, nor have I ever been, and I don't want to misrepresent anything through misinformation.  
> Second, my girl Kay gets a HUGE shout-out. As somebody who knows a lot about Deaf culture, she helped me iron out a lot of details so I wouldn't say anything accidentally offensive because of ignorance. We worked hard to make this the best deaf representation I could manage with my limited knowledge.  
> Third, this story is already complete. I will be posting a chapter a day.  
> Fourth, each chapter is between 1k and 2k words, on average. The point is to keep it short and sweet.  
> Finally, I hope you enjoy this deaf!Jughead au. I felt slighted that the original idea to make Jughead deaf was scrapped, so this was born.

Betty was playing quietly in the sandbox at her neighbor Archie's party in early June. The other kids were running circles around each other, and it was a bit too chaotic for her taste. She was more than happy to sit and build a sandcastle for her princess Polly Pocket. Suddenly, she heard the sand moving behind her and she sighed, figuring Reggie Mantle was behind her, waiting to spook her with a worm. 

She turned around to tell him worms aren't scary, but stopped when she saw a shy boy she didn't recognize. He had dark hair mostly hidden by a dark gray hat, which looked like a crown. She was immediately reminded of a prince. 

“Hello,” she greeted him shyly. “My name is Betty. What's yours?” The boy mumbled something too quietly for her to make out. “I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you. Can you please say it again?” Her mother raised her with manners after all.

“Jughead,” he repeated himself, that time just barely audible.

“Do you want to play with me, Jughead? I'm building a sand castle for my princess.”

“Yes, please,” he mumbled again, and sat next to her in the dirty sand. Moments later, Mrs Andrews announced that it was time for cake, and all the kids ran inside to sing Happy Birthday to Archie. 

“Jughead?” She touched his arm lightly. “Don't you want cake?”

“It's time for cake?” He asked excitedly. His words sort of blended together a little, kind of like that time when her mom had a little too much wine at Christmas.

“Yes, silly,” she laughed. “Mrs Andrews just said so.”

“Oh, I didn't hear her,” he whispered embarrassedly.

“That's okay,” Betty reassured him brightly. “Sometimes I can't hear my mom calling me, and she's loud.”

They stood to walk inside, and Betty grabbed his hand as they walked together. He held on tight as they pushed through the hordes of rowdy boys, and butterflies fluttered in her stomach at the touch. Was this a crush? If it was, she liked how giggly it made her feel.

\---

Betty watched, confused, as Jughead and his dad made odd hand gestures at each other. It looked almost like they were having a conversation just with their hands. Then his dad rubbed the top of his head affectionately and Jughead ran over to her.

“What were you and your dad doing with your hands?” She inquired curiously.

“We were talking. I can't hear very good, so we talk with our hands a lot.” His voice was tinged with embarrassment, and Betty felt bad for asking.

“Are you deaf?” She suddenly remembered the term from a movie she watched with Polly. 

“Yes,” Jughead answered angrily. 

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I think it's really cool how you talk with your hands. Can you teach me?” Her gaze was focused on the ground in her shame, and she kind of wanted to cry.

“Not really,” the gentle tone of his voice surprised her. “I'm not very good at signing and talking at the same time.”

“That's okay,” her voice perked up again. “Is that what it's called? Signing?”

“Yeah, it's called sign language, and my dad learned from a lot of books.” He changed the topic suddenly. “Are you going to be in Kindergarten this year? I'm going to be in Mrs. Light's class.”

“Me too! Archie is going to be in a different class, and I was really nervous about making new friends, but not anymore.”

“I'm your friend?” Jughead asked disbelievingly.

“Of course, silly!” She let out a girly giggle at his confusion. “Do you want to play house?”

“I've never played house before,” he admitted shyly. “Archie only ever wants to play superheroes.”

“I'll be the mom and you can be the dad,” she explained easily. “Let's go see if anybody else wants to play.”

As it turned out, Reggie and Archie wanted to play. Reggie decided he was going to be the rebellious teenager, while Archie said he wanted to stay 5.

“If you're the mom, and Jughead's the dad,” Reggie spoke loudly, “Then you have to kiss each other. That's what moms and dads do.” He had a wicked grin on his face, clearly trying to make one or both of them uncomfortable. Betty just shrugged and grabbed both of Jughead's cheeks. She planted a quick, sticky peck on his lips before he could process what was going on. Jughead stood still for a moment afterward, trying to understand what just happened.

Betty, however, let out a little squeal and blushed bright red once she pulled away. “Ooooh,” Reggie taunted. “Betty and Jughead sitting in a tree K.I.S.S.I.N.G!” Betty blushed harder and buried her face in her hands. 

“Reggie that's not nice,” Archie scolded the boy. “You made them kiss, it's not fair to make fun of them for it.” Reggie hung in shame, and Jughead was still frozen. His cheeks were aflame too, but his olive coloring made it less noticeable.

Their game continued amicably, and Betty kept giving Jughead kisses on his cheeks, like she so often saw her mother do. It made her giddy every time she did, and she knew for sure this must be a crush. Jughead was so nice and really cute, how could she not have a crush on the boy who looked like an actual prince, with his crown hat perched on his head?

“I'm bored,” Reggie complained 20 minutes later. “I wanna play something else. How about Monkey in the Middle?” Without waiting for an answer, he took the hat Betty had just been admiring and threw it to Archie. Archie grinned and threw it back, and Betty noticed Jughead was getting uncomfortable without his hat. That's when she saw the small plastic-looking things in his ears. She knew right away that they had something to do with his hearing, and why he was so nervous without his hat. 

“Reggie Mantle, you give Jughead his hat back right now,” she demanded, stomping one foot on the ground.

“Why should I listen to you?” He shot back, still clutching the hat. 

“Because I'll tell everyone you still wet the bed.” Reggie's eyes widened comically and he gave Jughead's hat back right away. 

“Now say you're sorry, Reggie.”

“I'm sorry I took your hat, Jughead,” he said remorsefully. “It was mean and I'm really sorry.”

Jughead wordlessly snatched his crown back and shoved it on his head, hiding the things in his ears. 

“Come on, Juggie, let's go play in the sandbox again,” Betty huffed, holding out her hand for him. He took it gently and she stormed off, trailing him behind. 

“Thanks Betty,” he said quietly. “I really like this hat.”

“It makes you look like a prince,” she giggled. “And I saw the things in your ears. You wear it to hide them, right?” Jughead nodded curtly. “What are they for?”

“They make me hear, but they don't always work. That's why I couldn't hear when it was time for cake.”

“Well I think they're super awesome,” Betty said with conviction. “They make you extra special, like your crown.”

“I think you're my new favorite friend, Betty. Archie isn't this nice to me.” Jughead's voice was adorably shy, and Betty blushed bright red again. 

“You're my favorite too, Juggie.”

“Hey, Jughead!” A man's voice sounded from behind them, and Betty recognized his dad from earlier. He signed something to his son, and Jughead nodded.

“It's time for me to go home,” he said mournfully. “I had a lot of fun playing with you today.”

“Me too,” Betty replied, feeling sad that he had to go. “We're going to be in Kindergarten together, though. That will be fun!”

“Jughead!” His dad called again, and Betty pressed one more kiss to his cheek before he scurried off. Betty watched them signing to each other, and giggled a little when she saw her new friend blushing a little. She felt herself blush a little more, and then her own dad was calling her, saying it was time for them to go as well.


	2. First Day of School

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am floored by the response the first chapter has gotten in only like twelve hours!!! Thank you everybody for tuning in and leaving me such nice messages!! It means so much to me :)

“I wanna learn sign language,” Betty announced one night at dinner.

“Sign language?” Alice sounded rather taken aback. “Why?”

“My new friend Jughead is deaf and I wanna learn it so we can talk easier.”

“Betty, honey, Jughead is a Jones. The Joneses live in the trailer park. I don't want you spending time with him.”

“So? I don't care where he lives. Juggie is nice and he said I'm his new favorite friend.” Betty stuck her lip out angrily and folded her arms across her chest.

“Well you're too young for any classes around here, so I can't sign you up anyway,” Alice stated harshly. 

“Fine,” Betty spat. “I'll just learn from books. Juggie says that's how his dad learned. May I be excused?”

“Yes, sweetie,” Hal spoke for the first time and Betty hugged him gratefully. She cleared her plate and bolted up the stairs. She opened her diary and began writing quickly in her little kid chicken scratch.

_Deer diree, I hav a big fat crush on Jughed Jonz. He looks lik a prins and he has kool things in his eers. His fase is coot and I kisd him at Archee’s partee. Jugy sed I am his new favrit frend becuz I am niser then Archee. I want to lern to tok with my hands so we can tok togethr seecretlee. I lik him lots mor then Archee ___

__Betty spoke aloud as she wrote, sounding out each word, but still grossly misspelling everything. She was just about to sign her entry when Polly's voice scared her._ _

__“Ha! I knew it, you love Jughead,” her big sister teased. Then she started dancing in a circle around Betty, who sat on the pristine floor of her bedroom. “Betty loves Jughead! Betty loves Jughead!”_ _

__“Polly stop,” she whined, blushing hard. “You can't tell anybody!”_ _

__“I won't, I swear,” Polly grinned. When Betty didn't believe her, she exclaimed, “I pinky promise!” The girls linked pinkies and giggled wildly. Polly read what she wrote and grinned again. “He looks like a prince?”_ _

__“Yes! He has a hat that looks like a crown. And Reggie Mantle made us kiss when we were playing house.” Betty was smiling wide, while Polly listened intently._ _

__“Oh my goodness Betty, you kissed him! You guys are gonna get married!” They shared a wistful sigh at the idea, and then Betty remembered why she was mad before._ _

__“Let's go to the library tomorrow. I wanna get sign language books.”_ _

__\---_ _

__Betty spent all summer poring over the books she checked out over and over again. By the time school started she felt confident that she would be able to talk to Jughead without embarrassing herself._ _

__The first day of school finally arrived, and Betty was nervous. She didn't see Jughead all summer, and was very sad about it. When she walked into the classroom, she saw him sitting all alone at a table, drawing something. She walked over and claimed the seat next to him. He didn't notice her at first, too occupied with his hamburger drawing._ _

__She tapped his shoulder and he looked up slowly. When he saw her sitting next to him, a big smile grew on his face. “Hi Betty! I missed you this summer. I wanted to go play with you at Archie's house, but my mom needed me to help her. She's gonna have a baby!” His words flowed out in an excited stream and Betty smiled too._ _

__“Hi Jughead,” she signed carefully. “That's so exciting about your mom. I missed you too.” Jughead froze in awe, clearly not expecting her to learn his language of choice. Betty was suddenly scared she did it wrong. “Oh no was that not right?” She asked aloud. “I practiced all summer.”_ _

__“No,no!” Jughead spoke quickly, before signing back. “That was really good. How did you learn?”_ _

__“I got books from the library, just like your dad.”_ _

__“That's so awesome! Now we can have secret conversations.”_ _

__Their catch-up was interrupted by Cheryl Blossom, who had snuck up on them._ _

__“What are you nerds doing?” She asked, clear disdain in her voice._ _

__“She's a big fat jerk,” Jughead signed, and Betty laughed._ _

__“What are you laughing about? I asked you a question.”_ _

__“Well I don't want to answer it if you're going to be mean,” Betty shot back sassily. Growing up with Alice Cooper as a mother taught her how to be smart with her words. Cheryl let out a frustrated noise and stomped off to sit by her twin brother Jason, another jerk._ _

__“Wow, Betty, that was awesome,” Jughead spoke in awe, his words mushing together a little. “You're really awesome.” Betty blushed under his praise and looked at the drawing he had been working on._ _

__“That's a really good drawing, Juggie,” she spoke shyly, suddenly remembering her crush. “You're a really good drawer.”_ _

__“Thanks, Betts,” now it was his turn to feel shy, and Betty's stomach fluttered with more butterflies at the use of the nickname only her dad and sister used. She found all her nerves about the first day quickly melting away in his presence._ _

__\---_ _

__At recess, the other girls invited Betty to play jump rope with them, but when she asked if Jughead could play too, they just laughed._ _

__“He's a boy, Betty,” Ginger sneered. “And he's different. I don't want to play with somebody who can't even hear.”_ _

__Jughead stood still, taken aback by their harsh words, but Betty just harrumphed and grabbed his hand like she so loved to do and stomped toward the playground._ _

__“Betty,” he signed once they were crouching under one of the playground units, digging in the mulch for bugs. “You don't have to play with me.”_ _

__“I know that, silly,” she signed back. “But I really want to.”_ _

__Jughead blushed and looked back at the upturned dirt, where he saw an especially big worm. “Hey Betts, he whispered. “Let's go scare Cheryl.”_ _

__Betty giggled maniacally and nodded. They ran off, the worm secure in Jughead's grubby little fist. They found Cheryl and Jason holding hands and standing still, scared they would get their matching outfits dirty._ _

__“Hey Cheryl,” Betty taunted. “We have something for you.” Jughead opened his fist and the redheaded girl screamed in horror_ _

__“Jason get rid of it,” she squealed as she hid behind her twin brother, who also looked disgusted._ _

__“I'm not gonna touch it, Cherry, it's gross!” His voice was panicked as he watched the worm wriggle in the air._ _

__Betty and Jughead laughed some more, before Betty decided they should put the worm back._ _

__“There,” she said firmly as they buried it in the soil. “Now it can go back to its family.”_ _

__“You're definitely my favorite friend, Betty,” Jughead said as he kissed her on the cheek, just like she had done so many times at Archie's party. Betty giggled at the contact, and the bell rang, signifying the end of recess. She spent the rest of the day feeling warm and fuzzy._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so it was pointed out to me that Betty learning ASL from books at the ripe age of 5 was unrealistic, and I forgot that people can't see inside my head lol so to clarify, I pictured FP and Betty not being fluent, but knowing enough to communicate at a 5 year old's level, and then learning more as they get older :)


	3. Third Grade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After all the super nice comments everybody sent my way, I decided to post chapter 3 early!! There were some formatting issues, so I posted it but took it down, and now it's here again

Third grade was hard. Mean Girls were getting meaner, boys were getting jerkier, Archie _still _wasn't in the same class with them, and Betty was beyond thankful that Jughead was still in the same class as her. Twice this week, Cheryl had said something mean to one of them, and it was only Wednesday.__

__Jughead was often the butt of many people's jokes. As they grew up, his speech didn't become any clearer. _Slurring, _that's what it was called, and it sometimes made it difficult to understand him.___ _

____While Betty was patient and encouraging, others weren't so kind. Unfortunately, they were reading Charlotte's Web out loud as a class, and their teacher, Ms Reeves, called on Jughead to read._ _ _ _

____Ms Reeves was a nice lady who wanted to include him in class activity. Jughead told her about the time when she pulled him aside and told him privately that she never wanted him to feel out of place because of his deafness._ _ _ _

____As her best friend stumbled over his words, a faint laughter started to rise from all around the room. Jughead, completely unaware, continued to read, and only stopped when Ms Reeves shouted._ _ _ _

____“That is quite enough, class,” she bellowed. “There's no reason to laugh at Jughead for trying his best. Just because he is deaf doesn't mean it's okay to make fun of him. You should all be ashamed of yourselves.”_ _ _ _

____“Yes, Ms Reeves,” the class chanted solemnly, hanging their heads in embarrassment. Nobody liked to be yelled at by their teacher._ _ _ _

____Jughead, however, had sank down low in his chair and pulled his hat lower over his ears. Betty felt a confusing rush of affection, anger, and sadness when she saw him._ _ _ _

____“Now, Jughead,” their teacher continued, signing along with her words. “Would you like to keep reading, or should I call on someone else?”_ _ _ _

____“Someone else, please,” he signed, and Ms Reeves nodded curtly. “Reggie, would you please pick up where we left off?”_ _ _ _

____As Reggie's loud voice overtook the classroom, Jughead's eyes finally met Betty's. “It's going to be okay” she signed with a soft smile. “Everybody else is just a butthead.” He managed a small smile and Betty felt a bit lighter._ _ _ _

____\---_ _ _ _

____At recess, Betty and Jughead were playing an especially animated game of pirates when Reggie came over to them._ _ _ _

____“What do you want, Reggie?” Betty asked coolly._ _ _ _

____Reggie twisted his hands together and kept his gaze fixed on the ground. He kicked the wood chips absently, and Betty waited expectantly._ _ _ _

____“I just wanted to say I'm really sorry for laughing earlier, Juggie. It wasn't funny and it wasn't nice. I was trying to be cool by going along with what everybody else was doing, but I hurt your feelings.” He glanced up hopefully at Jughead before looking back at his feet._ _ _ _

____“S’okay,” Jughead mumbled, who was also looking at the ground. “But only Betty can call me Juggie.” Her stomach fluttered violently at this detail._ _ _ _

____Reggie nodded and looked at Betty, as if he was trying to gain her approval. She just shrugged and said, “Do you want to play pirates with us, Reggie?”_ _ _ _

____“No thank you,” he returned cheerfully. “I'm gonna go play football. Bye guys.”_ _ _ _

____They waved him off and continued their game. They were back to back fighting imaginary bad guys, when Cheryl's obnoxious voice shattered the scene._ _ _ _

____“Ooh, look at them,” she sneered. The other girls around her laughed and started making kissy noises_ _ _ _

____“Go 'way, Cheryl,” Jughead grumbled._ _ _ _

____“I don't think so, deaf boy,” her voice sounded almost bored. “I want to see some action. Go ahead, Betty, kiss him. We all know you want to.”_ _ _ _

____Betty flushed pink and looked Cheryl dead in the eye. “You're just upset because nobody wants to kiss you.”_ _ _ _

____Everybody gasped at Betty's sass, and Cheryl looked like she wanted to cry. Betty was about to say sorry when the redhead spat, “Whatever, you're just a couple of freaks!” And stomped away with the gaggle of girls following her and tripping over themselves to comfort the queen bee._ _ _ _

____“Thanks, Betts,” he grinned at her, and for a moment, he looked so incredibly handsome, her heart fluttered feebly in her chest._ _ _ _

____“Any time, Juggie.”_ _ _ _

____\---_ _ _ _

____Betty had a long-standing invitation to dinner at the Jones’s trailer, and she decided to cash in. She and Polly had an argument about Polly wearing her favorite hair bow, and Betty decided she didn't want to talk to her sister for the rest of the day._ _ _ _

____Mrs. Jones was cooking spaghetti and Mr. Jones was playing with Jughead's sister, Jellybean. Jellybean was a bratty two year old who adored her big brother. Jughead adored her as well, spending almost every free moment he had playing with her. Betty and Jughead were sitting at the small dinner table in the middle of the trailer, focused on their science homework._ _ _ _

____“Dinner's almost ready” Mrs. Jones called from the kitchen, and the two third graders cleaned up their homework. Jughead was handed a wet rag to wipe the table, and he did so quickly, not letting any crumbs hit the floor._ _ _ _

____Everyone dished themselves up in the kitchen and when it came time to sit, Jellybean climbed into Betty's seat beside Jughead._ _ _ _

____“I wanna sit by Juggie,” she declared, crossing her arms over her chest and refusing to move._ _ _ _

____“But _I _wanna sit by Juggie,” Betty whined, playing along with the toddler's game.___ _ _ _

______“My brother,” the girl pouted, sticking out her lip._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well he's my best friend,” she shot back, grinning._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Jellybean,” Mr. Jones spoke softly. “Why don't you come sit by your papa?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“No!” She giggled. “I want Jughead!”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Jellybean, just move out of Betty's spot,” Mrs. Jones snapped. The laughter faded from the little girl's eyes, and she slumped her shoulders._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yes, mommy,” she said sullenly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Look at you, Jug,” his dad laughed. “You're eight years old and girls are already fighting over you. We'll have to beat them off with a stick when you're older.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______His mom let out a short laugh that sounded kind of mean. Betty saw Mr Jones shoot her a look not unlike the one she would get from her own mother whenever she complained about the vegetables on her plate._ _ _ _ _ _

______Betty figured she must have had a long day at work, or maybe she was tired. After all, Mr. Jones stayed home all day to take care of Jellybean. She was the only one making money for their family._ _ _ _ _ _

______Mr. Jones dropped her off at home later. When she thanked him for dinner and the ride home, he chuckled softly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You are always welcome in our home, Betty. Never forget that.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Betty nodded and waved good bless before running into the house and upstairs to write in her diary like she did every night._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

_______Dear Diary, Today, the whole class made fun of Jughead for the way he talks. Reggie came up to us at recess while we were playing pirates and said sorry. Juggie forgave him, but he said only I am aloud to call him Juggie. That made me really really happy. Then Cheryl said everybody knows I want to kiss Jughead. How did she find out? I was soo embarrassed! But I told her she was just upset because nobody wants to kiss her and she went away. After school I went to Juggie’s house and we did our homework together. By the time we were finished, it was time for dinner. His mom made spageti, and I think she was extra tired because she was kind of mean to Jellybean. I went over there because I'm still mad at Polly for taking my bow. It's MY bow! And she could of lost it! She makes me so MAD sometimes. I'm really sad that so many people think it's weird that Jughead slurs. He's awesome just the way he is. They just have to be a little patient for once! The only thing I would ever change about Jughead is to make his face less cute. It's really hard to have a crush on my best friend because I just wanna kiss him! But I can't because we're only 8 but Jughead is gonna be 9! Maybe someday I will finally kiss him. And then we can get married like we're suppost to. Last night I had a dream he was my boyfriend and I was SO happy until I remembered it was a dream. Maybe someday it will be real. Good night, diary. Love, Betty. ____ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay the Diary entry is supposed to be in italics, but the website isn't doing the thing with the shortcut so I put a bigger space than usual. I'm too tired to figure out how to fix it


	4. Fifth Grade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still reeling from everybody's positive feedback!!!! I can't express enough how grateful I am to everybody who has been reading and leaving comments here, as well as everyone who has reblogged this story on Tumblr :):):)

Betty, Jughead, and Archie were planning one last day of winter break fun before they had to go back to the monotony of fifth grade. Included in their plans were: sledding on the big hill, hot cocoa with marshmallows, scary movies in Archie’s basement with pepperoni pizza, and crashing on the floor in sleeping bags. 

Betty had to beg her mother to let her go. After all, they were all experiencing changes in their bodies, and Alice Cooper was nothing if not paranoid. After having a long talk with Mr Andrews and Mr Jones, she finally agreed.

_Dear Diary, tonight's the big sleepover with Archie and Juggie. I'm so excited! We're gonna go sledding and eat pizza and watch scary movies. I'm gonna sit by Juggie so I can hug him when I get scared. Gosh, I am so in love with him. I was taking a shower one time and it hit me. I don't just have a crush on Jughead, I'm in love with him! Even though I'm only ten, I feel like I have a pretty good idea of what love is. I see in a lot of movies how characters always tell each other they don't know real love. Well I definitely know real love and it comes in the form of Jughead Jones. I can't wait to see him tonight! Love, Betty ___

__She got dressed in her favorite teal sweater and left her hair down so that she could wear a hat. She donned her snow pants quickly and tried to run across her yard to Archie's. Twice, she tripped in the snow, because running and snow pants don't mix._ _

__Jughead was already there when she arrived, and Betty all but tackled him in a tight hug._ _

__“Hi, Betts,” he rasped. “I missed you.” Betty had gone to her grandmother's house for a week for Christmas and New year's._ _

__“I missed you too, Juggie,” she replied bashfully. “You, too, Archie.” She gave the redheaded boy a hug as well, but not nearly as tight as Jughead's was._ _

__Fred walked out the front door, spinning his car keys around his fingers. “Let's go, kids,” he called out, and they all piled into the truck._ _

__They spent what felt like endless hours on the big hill, but it was really two. Jughead was worried about getting snow in his hearing aids, and stayed away from any competition involving the snow ramp._ _

__Once they were all tuckered out from the cold, they went to Pop's for fries and hot chocolate. Jughead ate almost an entire basket of fries all by himself. He was always hungry, and it made Betty smile._ _

__Around 5 o'clock, Mr Andrews placed an order for an extra large pepperoni pizza and the three of them were eager to start the movies. First up was The Exorcist, and when Mr Andrews came down the stairs to give them pizza, they all jumped._ _

__“Whoa, settle down kids, it's just me.” They all breathed heavily and press pause on the movie to load up on greasy goodness._ _

__“Thank you, Mr Andrews,” they chanted, except for Archie, who called him Dad._ _

__They settled back into the couch, and Betty sat extra close to Jughead. About halfway through the movie, things started to get extra scary, and Betty was leaning her entire body toward Jughead in fear._ _

__He wraps his arm around her gently and whispers, “It's okay, Betts. None of it is real.” He rubs his hand slowly up and down her upper arm, just how, she assumed, he learned from comforting his little sister._ _

__When the movie was past the scariest point, Betty still kept her face pressed into his shoulder, savoring the feeling of being in his arms._ _

__“Betts, the scary part is over now,” he chuckled. “You can look.” If he waited a few extra minutes to remind her, he'd never tell._ _

__The next movie was The Shining, and it wasn't nearly as scary as the last one. Betty only leaned into him when the little boy started making his finger talk. Again, he stroked her arm soothingly, and she stayed there a little longer than necessary._ _

__When it was time to pick a third and final movie, Archie decided he'd had enough of the horror movies._ _

__“Let's watch Finding Nemo,” he suggested. Betty and Jughead agreed quickly. Everybody loved that movie._ _

__By the end of Finding Nemo, everybody was yawning. “I'm gonna take my hearing aids out now, guys,” Jughead announced. “You'll make sure I don't die, right?”_ _

__They all promised to keep him alive, and within minutes, he was down for the count. Betty paused for a moment to admire his face. He looked so peaceful, so handsome, and she couldn't help but stare._ _

__“Hey Betty,” Archie whispered once they too were in their sleeping bags. Betty turned to face him and he continued. “Do you like Jughead?”_ _

__“Of course I do, silly,” she scoffed, avoiding his question. “He's my best friend. You are, too.”_ _

__“No, I mean do you like-like Jughead? You guys looked like you were snuggling while we were watching the movies.” He made a face like snuggling was the most disgusting thing in the world_ _

__“You can't tell anybody what I'm about to tell you, Archie. I mean it.” Archie nodded and held out his pinky, silently proposing a pinky promise. They linked fingers and Betty took a deep breath. “I'm in love with Jughead.”_ _

__Archie gasped loudly. “How do you know? We're only ten!”_ _

__“I don't know, Archie,” she sighed. “I just _do. _”___ _

____“I don't even know what love really is,” the redhead mused. “I mean, I know what it feels like to love my family and my friends, but I don't know how to like define it or anything.”_ _ _ _

____“Hmm,” Betty paused to think. “Love is… accepting someone exactly as they are, even the things that aren't good, and not wanting to change anything about them. And I think the difference between loving you and loving Jughead is that I don't want to kiss you.”_ _ _ _

____“Wow, Betty, you're so… smart. And wait, you want to kiss Jughead? Ew!”_ _ _ _

____She giggled at his reaction. “It's not gross, Arch. He's really, really handsome.”_ _ _ _

____“If you say so.” Betty rolled her eyes._ _ _ _

____“Remember, you can't tell anyone. _Especially _Jughead.”___ _ _ _

______“My lips are sealed, Betts.” He mimed a zipper on his lips and yawned widely. “I'm exhausted. Good night.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Night, Arch,” she yawned back and soon fell fast asleep._ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still having a bit of an issue formatting italics in some places. Does anybody have any pointers about that? I'm doing the keyboard shortcut right, but the site won't recognize it. It's starting to get on my nerves


	5. Eighth Grade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was going to only be the first scene, but it wasn't nearly long enough, so I added some fluff, and then I ran away with it haha

As the years went by, Cheryl's bullying got worse and worse. Betty could tell that it was really starting to wear on Jughead, but he did his best to hide it. Things at home were getting bad, too. His parents were always fighting, but he didn't know why. He always turned off his hearing aids when they started yelling.

Things at school came to a head in eighth grade, when Jughead tripped in the hallway and bumped into Cheryl. It wasn't as if he had knocked her over or anything, but she still had plenty to say about the matter.

“Watch where you're going, you useless freak!”

Betty heard her harsh insult down the hall and almost tripped herself in her haste to get to Jughead. The rest of Cheryl's posse started hurling insults at him as well, and Betty was fuming with anger.

“Juggie,” she called out, but he had already turned off his hearing aids. She ran to catch up with him, but not before telling everybody in the hallway off.

“You are the most despicable people,” she spat. “What has Jughead ever done to you?”

Everybody else laughed and Betty sprinted down the hall to the always-empty classroom they used to get out of PE.

“Juggie?” She opened the door quietly. “Jug, it's me.” She caught sight if his shaking form, and her heart broke. She flicked the lights on and back off to let him know she was there. It was the gentlest way to get his attention, since unexpected touch made him jump out of his skin.

He looked around and wiped his eyes, and gave Betty a sad smile when she sat beside him. She engulfed him in a tight hug, and he continued sobbing into her shoulder.

“Am I useless?” He signed once he pulled away. “I feel useless.”

“Absolutely not,” she signed back urgently. “You are far from useless. I would be lost without you.”

He let out a faint scoffing noise, and Betty gave him a pointed look.

“You are cherished, Jughead Jones. By your mom, your dad, your sister, Archie, and especially me.”

Jughead said nothing and pulled her into another hug.

“I love you,” she whispered, because he would never hear her like this. She was always itching to say it, but never brave enough

“Let's get to class,” she signed once Jughead's breathing had evened out again, and his tears we're all dried up. She habitually took his hand and led him out of the room, Jughead only too happy to follow.

\---

The rest of the year was uneventful, and before they knew it, the big spring formal dance was just around the corner. Betty had a pretty dress all picked out, and the only thing left to do was ask Jughead to be her date.

She already knew he would say yes, with little to no argument against it. Her dress was a satiny white material, covered in small purple and blue flowers. She got it from the discount rack at a prom store for a great deal. The bodice was a princess neckline with thin spaghetti straps holding it up, while the skirt was very structured and ended just above her knee. She felt beautiful in it, and all but begged her mother to buy it.

Alice was reluctant, but once she saw the insane deal, made Betty promise to wear a shawl or a cardigan of some sort. She lied through her teeth, knowing full well whatever cover up she used would be abandoned the moment they arrived, so as not to restrict her dancing. She was hoping for at least one slow dance with Jughead.

Time was running out, and Betty realized she couldn't procrastinate asking him any longer. One day at lunch, she turned to Archie.

“Who are you taking to the dance, Archie? I heard a lot of girls were hoping for you to ask.”

He rubbed his neck nervously. “I was hoping Valerie would say yes, but when I asked her, she said she had another date. So I don't really want to ask anybody else. It wouldn't seem right.”

“Wow, Arch. That's surprisingly mature of you,” Betty smiled softly at her neighbor. He was growing up.

“What about you, Betts? Anyone catching your eye?” She could have sworn he winked, but it was too fast to tell.

“I was hoping Juggie would escort me,” she answered, turning hopefully to the boy beside her. “As friends, of course.”

Jughead perked up in surprise. “Uh, yeah sure, Betts,” he stumbled. “That sounds good. Send me a picture of your dress so I can get a tie to match.”

Betty smiled broadly and gave him a quick, one armed hug. Her cheeks were undoubtedly tinged pink, but Jughead didn't seem to notice, just like she didn't notice his own neck turning red.

\---

Betty twirled around in front of her mirror, smoothing the front of her skirt and checking out how she looked from every angle. She saw Polly watching her from the doorway with a smile, and she jumped.

“Polly, you scared me,” she gasped, clutching her heart.

“You look gorgeous, Betty,” her sister cooed, smirking at her reaction like a true older sibling.

“Thanks Polly. Do you think he'll like it?” Her voice was shy, and Polly knew immediately that she meant Jughead.

“He won't know what hit him.”

Betty sighed happily, a dream expression on her face. “What if he kisses me,” she mused. “Maybe while we slow dance…”

“If he kisses you, you are going to tell me _everything _,__ understand? I want every last detail, even if he doesn't. This is a big night for you, little sister.”

Betty smiled appreciatively at her sister and agreed. They both loved the cute-boy-centric gossip sessions they held in Polly's room every week. She currently had her sights on a handsome senior in her art class, and Betty lived to hear about her sister's high school antics.

“Can I help with your makeup,” Polly offered. Betty handed her the brush and palette she was just using and told her to keep it light. When she opened her eyes again, she barely recognized the girl in the mirror as her.

Polly kept true to her word, keeping the eyeshadow light. But then, she added a classic cat eye and dark, sooty lashes. Her face was mildly contoured and her highlighter popped on her cheeks and the end of her nose and sharp chin. On her lips was a nude pink, deeper than her usual shade, and it brought the whole look together.

Just as she was putting finishing touches, the doorbell rang.

“Juggie's here!” She exclaimed, standing quickly and rushing to put what she needed into her purse.

“Relax, Betty. Slow down a little. Keep him waiting a bit. Trust me, you want to build up the anticipation.” Betty nodded and waited until their mother called up the stairs.

“Betty, dear, Jughead is here to take you to the dance.”

The two girls silently did an excited sort of squirm and Betty fixed her hair one last time before grabbing her clutch and slipping on her shoes. In her heels, she would be just barely shorter than Jughead, and at the perfect height for him to kiss her.

She walked down the stairs, smiling excitedly and her mother let out an awed noise. “Betty, you look beautiful,” she sighed.

“Thanks, mom,” she blushed and looked down at the ground. Alice posed them in different areas of the house, taking innumerable photos, before shooing them out the door. “Betty, your curfew is 11:30!” She called after them. Betty shot her a thumbs up and linked her arm in Jughead's

Jughead hadn't said much before leaving. He was usually quiet anyway, especially around adults. She was caught off guard when he stopped suddenly and took her hands.

“You look wonderful, Betty,” he choked out shyly. Betty blushed again and pulled him in for a hug.

“You look great too, Juggie,” she chirped and kissed him on the cheek. They arrived at the school five minutes later, and Jughead immediately went to find the refreshments, with a promise to bring her a cookie and some punch.

She found Archie within a minute. He was dancing with a group of people and he paused to say Hi.

“You look great, Betty!” He yelled over the music.

“Thanks Arch. You do too!”

“Where's Jughead?”

“Where else? He's getting food.” They laughed at their best friend's food obsession and impressive appetite.

The night passed too quickly. Betty was having a blast dancing with her two best friends, although Jughead's movements could barely be classified as dancing. Finally, a slow song came on, and Betty swallowed her nerves and asked Jughead to dance.

“Um, yeah sure,” he stumbled, and Betty internally squealed at how eager he seemed. He placed his hands respectfully on her waist, and she looped hers around his neck.

They swayed to the music, and Betty smiled at the ground. “Thanks for coming with me, Juggie,” she spoke shyly, glancing nervously at his face. He was looking right back at her, and butterflies erupted in her stomach for the millionth time that night.

She shuffled closer to him, tightening her grip around his neck. In an attempt to encourage him, she kissed his cheek lightly, lingering just a little. When he didn't make any move to kiss her, she leaned her head on his shoulder, trying not to feel rejected. After all, he was still dancing with her, like he had been all night. Maybe he just didn't get the hint.

The song ended, and she took it as a good sign that he didn't remove his hands like they had been burnt. Rather, he seemed a little reluctant to let go. Betty pulled away slowly as well, trying to hold onto their gentle embrace for just a while longer.

Archie, beautiful, oblivious Archie ruined their moment seconds after the song ended.

“Guysguysguys" he rushed excitedly. “Cheryl's having an after-party. We're gonna play spin the bottle and drink her parents’ alcohol. Do you wanna come?”

“No, Juggie and I were planning to go to Pop's for a bit after this. Cheryl is mean anyway.” Betty answered for both of them, since she already knew Jughead would rather poke his eyes out than go to Cheryl's creepy house. She was his greatest tormentor.

“Whatever floats your boat, I guess. Have fun!” And he was gone, leaving the two of them alone again.

“Let's blow this joint,” Betty said brightly, and tucked her arm under his. He led them outside into the chilly night air, and Betty shivered at the contrast from the sweaty gym.

Suddenly, Jughead pulled away, and moments later, a jacket rested on her shoulders. “Thanks, Juggie,” she breathed, leaning in to kiss his cheek. She put her arms through the sleeves and then grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together. She sneakily buried her face into the collar, breathing in his signature Jughead scent and smiling.

Betty thought she couldn't be any more obvious about her feelings, but Jughead showed no sign of acknowledging anything. Either he genuinely had no idea what she was hinting at, or he was being nice. And she knew Jughead would speak up if he was uncomfortable in any way.

They made general conversation as they ate greasy burgers and slurped sugary milkshakes, and before they knew it, the clock above the counter read 11:20.

“I'll walk you home, Betts,” Jughead signed when she pointed out the time.

He gave her his jacket once more as they stepped into the cold night, and she leaned against his shoulder the whole way home, trying not to fall over in her heels. She gave him one more kiss on the cheek once she unlocked her front door and gave his jacket back, hoping beyond hope that maybe he would kiss her.

He didn't. Betty bid him goodnight and rushed upstairs to get into pajamas and write her frustrations in her diary.

_Dear Diary, tonight was the spring formal dance. Jughead and I went together, as planned, and it was a lot of fun. He told me I looked wonderful! I kissed him on the cheek four times tonight. Four! I wanted him to kiss me so badly, but he was completely oblivious! I wish I knew if he returned my feelings. It would make everything so much easier! Everybody tells me he's crazy for me too, but I just don't see it. If he's so into me, why didn't he kiss me when I was flirting with him? Maybe he doesn't like me. Or maybe he's just too shy. A girl can dream, right? Anyway, we went to Pop's after the dance, and I was cold, so he gave me his jacket! It took everything in me not to lay one on him right then and there! But it's getting late, and I need to go to sleep. Love, Betty ___

__

____

__She signed her entry like she always did, and flicked off her bedside light. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow and dreamed of Jughead. She slept exceptionally well._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betty's crush is largely based on a crush I had on a boy soanning from second to eighth grade, but we weren't friends like Betty and Jughead. I just pined pathetically for 7 years and then we went to different high schools oops.


	6. Sophomore Year

Sophomore year was well under way, and Betty's feeling for Jughead only magnified as time went on. Recently, her thoughts had been going to less than pure places, and it was alarming her greatly, especially since they weren't together.

_Dear Diary, I'm worried about Jughead. Things at home have been really rough for him. Whenever I'm over there, which isn't often these days, his parents are glaring at each other, and his mom always has something rude to say to Juggie. And poor Jellybean is caught in the middle of it. Unlike Juggie, she can't turn off her hearing when they start fighting. Jughead has started taking her out if the house when it gets bad, to the playground or the corner store, wherever they can get away. I hope Gladys and FP can sort things out. ___

__Betty was interrupted by a sharp tapping on her window. Utterly perplexed, she opened the curtain and saw Jughead staring back at her. He looked distraught and his eyes were red, as if he had been crying. She threw it open immediately and he tripped over the sill on his way in._ _

__“Juggie, what's going on?” He had never climbed through her window before, and she had never seen him this upset._ _

__“She's gone,” he muttered, staring at his feet on the floor. “Took Jellybean and left.”_ _

__Betty knew he meant his mother. She took his hand gently and tried to get him to look at her. She tilted his chin up and he met her eyes begrudgingly._ _

__Jughead pulled her to him in a bone crushing hug, while he sobbed into her shoulder. Betty rubbed his back soothingly, whispering reassurances in his ear._ _

__“Why did she take Bean?” She asked once he had calmed down a little, and let go of her. They were sitting on her bed now, her hand still rubbing gently on his shoulder._ _

__“Because she doesn't want a deaf son,” he cried out, and his eyes glazed with tears again. “She told me, Betty. She said she never wanted a deformed child. I'm unlovable.”_ _

__“That is entirely untrue, Jughead. You know this, right?” Betty was disgusted at Gladys, and horrified that anybody would ever say that to their child._ _

__“Who's going to love me, Betty? Who's going to love me when even my own mother can't?” More tears escaped his eyes and ran down his cheeks. It broke her heart to see him like this._ _

__“I do,” she said forcefully. Jughead shot her a confused look, and she continued more boldly. “Can't you see? I'm helplessly in love with you, Jughead Jones. You mean the world to me, and hearing you say you're unlovable tears me apart.”_ _

__Betty couldn't believe this situation. It was straight out of a movie plot. What was even stranger was the way Jughead leaned in closer to her._ _

__“Betty Cooper,” he scoffed, cupping her cheek. “I can't believe you haven't noticed that _I'm _in love with _you _.” They met in the middle for the sweetest, most tender kiss Betty could have imagined. It only lasted a few seconds, but when they pulled apart, Jughead had a satisfied smile on his face._____ _

______“I've been wanting to do that for years,” he sighed, resting their foreheads together._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I've been smitten since I first met you, Jughead,” she admitted shyly. “Ever since Archie's 5th birthday party.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Jughead pulled her back to him, hugging her tight as he laid back. They were cuddling face to face, and Betty's heart was beating impossibly fast._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Juggie,” she whispered. “You know it's all gonna work out, right? You'll see Jelly again before you know it.” Jughead nodded jerkily and dropped a kiss to the top of her head._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Just being here, with you, it helps a lot. Especially since I finally got to kiss you.” His voice was croakier than usual, and it made Betty smile despite the circumstances_ _ _ _ _ _

______“How's FP?” She asked gently. She had long since graduated from calling his parents Mr and Mrs Jones._ _ _ _ _ _

______“He's relieved she's gone, but he really misses Jellybean. He told me that the entire time they were fighting, it was because she wanted to put me in a home for deaf people.” Betty gasped at this information. Only a monster would exile her child from their home._ _ _ _ _ _

______She reached up and stroked his cheek gently, while he continued to talk. “My dad is devastated, of course, that Jelly is gone, but their divorce statement said they each had to take one of us. He fought hard to get me, since she would just cast me away.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“See, Juggie? You're the opposite of unlovable,” she cooed, stroking his hair out of his face._ _ _ _ _ _

______He let out a sigh that ruffled her flyaway hairs and smiled softly at her. “I love you, Betty. That feels so good to say. I love you.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Betty rolled so that she was hovering above him, knees bracketing his thighs, and smiled back. “Jughead Jones, I love you more than anything in this world. She reached down to kiss him, and he opened his mouth for her immediately. They lazily explored each other's mouths, pausing every few seconds because their smiles made it impossible to kiss._ _ _ _ _ _

______The mood changed when Jughead tugged at her bottom lip with his teeth. Their kisses turned hungry and soon, Betty was grinding her hips against his hardening erection._ _ _ _ _ _

______He groaned against her mouth and moved to kiss down her throat, sucking on her pulse point the way she's read about in books. He groaned again when he felt how fast her heart was beating, because of him._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Juggie, Juggie wait!” Betty cried out suddenly, pulling away from him._ _ _ _ _ _

______“What's the matter, baby?” He asked, still pressing kisses anywhere he can reach._ _ _ _ _ _

______“This is all too fast,” she fretted. “Everything is happening all at once.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Jughead sat up and pulled her to his chest again, rubbing her back like she was doing for him moments ago._ _ _ _ _ _

______“If it's too much, we'll slow down,” he soothed. “I don't want you to feel pressured.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Everybody always mocked him for the way he talked, but Betty thought his voice was the most beautiful sound in the world. His slow speech patterns and slurring words made him so much more unique and lovable._ _ _ _ _ _

______She took a deep breath and nodded, pecking him chastely on the lips. “I like when you call me baby,” she whispered, and a smug grin spread over his features._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Oh yeah?” He teased, “I'll keep that in mind.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Ugh, you're so cocky,” she groaned and buried her face into the crook of his neck. “You just ruined it with your cockiness.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Sure I did, _baby. _” He grinned and started peppering her face with little kisses, until he finally reached her lips and she sunk into him with a light moan.___ _ _ _ _ _

________“You're lucky I'm home alone this weekend,” she sighed against his lips. “Otherwise, my mom would kill us both. Do you want to stay the night?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He agreed excitedly, not looking forward to the surely empty trailer. Betty tidied up her bed and offered Jughead some of the pajamas she had stolen from him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“So that's where this t-shirt went!” Betty smiled sheepishly and turned to give him privacy. He did the same for her, and they crawled into bed together._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I love you, Betts,” he whispered as she turned off the light._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Love you too, Jug,” she answered sleepily, burrowing into his body. He was an excellent pillow._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah Gladys is a bitchhhh but I hope y'all enjoyed how they FINALLY get together after pining their whole lives :)


	7. Junior Year

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's where this sweet story gets an M rating ;););)

_Dear Diary, today is my one year anniversary with Jughead. I'm so excited! He keeps telling me he's planning something big, but also says we're staying in. His dad is going to let us have the trailer to ourselves all night! I'm really hoping we'll finally do the big 'it.’ We've been exploring for months with hands and mouths, but I'm ready to go all the way. I have been for ages. Juggie tells me he identifies on the ace spectrum, and he wants me, but he's not ready yet. And of course, I completely understand, but if I don't see him naked soon, I'm gonna die. I never thought I could love anybody as much as I love Jughead Jones. I just know I'm going to marry that boy one day. Anyway, I need to get dressed up for tonight and I'm running out of time. Love, Betty ___

__Betty sat at her vanity and sighed. She really wanted to wow Jughead tonight. The dress she picked out was black, printed in small white daisies, and styled like a 1950’s house dress. It was her favorite dress, and she felt beautiful in it._ _

__She sat in her bra and underwear, carefully applying liquid eyeliner. She formed pristine wings and coated her lashes in mascara, before applying her favorite matte red lipstick, a shade Jughead adored on her. Although she suspected it was more the fact that it didn't transfer when she kissed him, but every time she wore it, he kissed her longer, held her tighter._ _

__When she was satisfied with her face, she slipped the dress over her head, before sliding her underwear down her legs. If FP was leaving them alone all night, she knew she wouldn't need the extra garment. It made her feel sexier, too, her dirty little secret._ _

__She gave her hair gentle curls and let them fall over her shoulders. Jughead loved to play with her hair, and she loved when he did it. Maybe they would end up naked in bed, with him combing his fingers through her hair as they caught their breath together._ _

__Just the thought of postcoital snuggles had Betty aching and hoping beyond hope that this would be the night. She finished getting ready right on time, and slipped her feet into her sexy black heels, grabbing her car keys and rushing out the door._ _

__“I'll be home late,” she called over her shoulder, but her farewell fell to nobody's ears. Everybody was too busy with other things to be worried about Betty's curfew. Her parents were coming up on a big deadline, while Polly was preparing scholarship essays and trying to finish high school with her near perfect GPA._ _

__Betty sped across town and arrived quickly at the Jones men’s trailer. When she opened the door, no knock needed, she was amazed. Jughead had obviously cleaned everything in the trailer, paying painful attention to detail, and lit tea lights on every available surface._ _

__The boy himself was in the kitchen, putting finishing touches on their dinner, the heavenly smell making her mouth water. He was dressed in a white button down shirt and black dress pants, and he looked just as delectable as the meal he was cooking._ _

__Jughead looked up from the stove, and his mouth dropped at the sight of her. “You look… incredible, Betty,” he croaked, eyes raking up and down her figure before settling again on her face. “Stunning.”_ _

__“You don't look to bad yourself, mister,” she chuckled as she strutted over to him. “What are you making?” Since her heels left her at Jughead's eye level, she stood behind him and kissed his neck the way she knew he loved. He let out a small groan before answering._ _

__“Shrimp fettuccine Alfredo,” he whispered, shuddering as she nipped his earlobe sensually, soothing it with her tongue._ _

__He plated their food and they sat to eat at the tiny kitchen table, where a vase with flowers sat in the middle._ _

__“These are for you, by the way,” Jughead signed, nodding at the vase and Betty smiled._ _

__“You're so sweet, Jughead,” she whispered, looking at him through her thick eyelashes. They ate quickly, both eager to get to the after-dinner activities, but still chatting like usual._ _

__“I can't believe it's been a year since we first kissed,” Betty signed. “It's been the best year of my life. You're all I've ever wanted, Juggie.”_ _

__Jughead smiled and signed back, “I love you, baby.” She melted at the pet name, and grinned broadly._ _

__They finished dinner, and Betty washed their plates in the sink. Jughead came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He began pressing kisses to her skin, starting just behind her ear and trailing to her shoulder. He pressed his hips against her behind, and she gasped at the obvious bulge._ _

__She dropped the plate in the sink and turned the water off quickly before turning around to kiss him languidly. “I'm not wearing any underwear,” she signed as they broke apart, then she skittered down the hall into his bedroom._ _

__“Shit,” Jughead muttered, before chasing after her. He found her laying on his bed, posed like a pinup girl. His head rolled back along with his eyes, and he let out a low moan. “You are going to be the death of me,” he signed._ _

__He lowered himself onto the bed, hovering above her body, and she leaned up to kiss him again. He broke away and littered more kisses down the column of her throat, fingers toying with the hem of her skirt. His hands moved up the insides of her thighs while he sucked a light mark on to her shoulder. When he reached her soaking center, her hips bucked, and he moaned against her skin._ _

__Without warning, Jughead flipped up her skirt, and he was kissing up her thighs, spreading her legs, and licking up her slit. Betty writhed beneath him as he devoured her, making her moan loudly. Betty knew he liked to hear her moans, to know how he was pleasing her, and she held nothing back in the otherwise empty trailer._ _

__When she came all over his tongue, Jughead wiped his face and moved up to face her again._ _

__“I'm ready for more,” he signed. “I'm ready to have sex with you.”_ _

__Betty said nothing. Instead, she unbuttoned his shirt at an inhuman speed and pushed it off his shoulders eagerly. Then, she went to remove his belt, and threw it on the floor. She kissed him hungrily, letting him know beyond a doubt that she wanted him._ _

__His pants followed quickly, and Betty paused to stare. Even though they had been fooling around for months, they had never seen each other completely naked._ _

__While Betty was admiring his body, Jughead unzipped her dress and pulled her sleeves down her arms. He choked on his spit when he saw that she wasn't wearing a bra, either._ _

__“Betty,” he groaned, pulling the dress down to her waist and kissing the tops of her breasts. He had seen her shirtless a fair few times, but never completely topless, and Betty knew she only had a few moments to propose her idea before it was too late._ _

__“Juggie,” she panted. He continued kissing her breasts, stopping to suck her nipple, and her back arched in ecstasy. “Juggie,” she repeated more firmly, guiding his face toward hers. They locked eyes and she kissed the tip of his nose. “I was wondering if you would take your hearing aids out,” she offered shyly._ _

__“Why?” He looked more than confused at her suggestion._ _

__“I want our first time to be just us, just as we are. I want it to be…. vulnerable and raw and real. Is that okay?” She bit her lip nervously, waiting for his answer._ _

__“Yeah, yeah we can do that.” He sounded more sure of himself with each word, before he reached up to his ears. “Take care of me, Betty,” he whispered shyly._ _

__“Always,” she breathed, and then his hearing aids were on the bedside table, and Betty wriggled out of her dress and threw it on the floor. She was completely exposed to him for the first time, and it was thrilling._ _

__She wordlessly tugged at the waistband of Jughead's boxers. He took the hint and tugged them down his legs, letting his erection spring free. He grabbed a condom from the drawer and quickly rolled it onto his cock. His body covered hers once more, and they kissed slowly. Jughead broke off and made pointed eye contact with her. Betty nodded eagerly, understanding the silent question._ _

__Betty moaned loudly as he pushed into her, and her fingers scrambled up his back, nails digging into his skin as she wrapped her legs around his narrow frame. The feeling of him inside her was nothing like she had ever imagined. It was infinitely better, and from the looks on Jughead's face, he was enjoying himself already, too._ _

__As he bottomed out, his dick rubbed against a spot she had only managed to hit a few times, and her hips jumped off the bed at the contact. He stayed there for a moment, both of them adjusting to the new feeling, before pulling out._ _

__Betty whimpered at the loss, which turned into another moan as he thrusted back into her. He continued moving in and out, speeding up as they found a good rhythm._ _

__“Yes, Juggie, oh god, Juggie yes!” She could feel her release building, and Jughead instinctively knew to reach down and rub tight circles around her clit. Her breathing was tight and heavy, and her head was buzzing with pleasure, and suddenly the tension in her abdomen snapped. She came loudly, tightening around his cock and letting out a guttural groan at the feeling. Her nails dug in harder and her legs wrapped together around his hips._ _

__Then Jughead came with a loud grunt. He had been keeping incredibly quiet throughout the whole ordeal, and Betty knew it was because he didn't have a good gauge of his volume without his hearing aids._ _

__As they came down, he reached over and grabbed his hearing aids, quickly putting them back in._ _

__“That was amazing, Betty,” he sighed, pulling her to his chest. One of her favorite things about him was that he loved to cuddle. “Did you enjoy it? It seemed like you did, but I want to make sure.”_ _

__“God, yes, Jughead,” she sighed against his collarbone. “It was the most amazing thing I've ever experienced. You are a phenomenal lover.”_ _

__“It wasn't painful?” His thumb was stroking gently on her shoulder, and he had a soft look of concern in his eyes._ _

__“Not at all,” she giggled. “I think about you at night… a lot.” Her eyes danced with mischief, and Jughead kissed her shyly._ _

__“Betty, I just want to say thank you for being patient with me.” She was about to protest, but Jughead stopped her. “Let me finish, please. It means so much to me that you were so patient. I know it was frustrating, but I wouldn't want my first time to be with anybody except you.”_ _

__They kissed sweetly, Betty pouring all her love and appreciation for him into the kiss. They broke apart, and Jughead's fingers began running through her hair, just like how she had fantasized only hours before._ _

__“You know, your dad isn't going to be home for another couple hours,” she said in a sultry voice. Her hands skimmed from his shoulders down his chest. “We could go again.” Her hand wrapped around his cock, and it twitched a little in her hand as she began stroking it._ _

__“I do _not _have the stamina to go again,” he laughed, kissing her forehead gently. Despite his words, his hand moved from her waist to cup her butt, then snake down to stroke at her clit.___ _

____Betty melted into the mattress, and Jughead continued his movements until she was gasping and moaning again. She came for the third time that night, and Jughead smiled at her exhausted happiness._ _ _ _

____They ended up taking a nap and Jughead made her come one last time, before they got dressed. FP arrived home exactly when he said he would, and he was definitely suspicious about what the pair of them had been up to._ _ _ _

____When Betty got home, the house was still empty, and she went straight to her room, where she pulled on pajamas and pulled out her diary again._ _ _ _

____//Dear Diary, it actually happened….//_ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've given up trying to understand the whole italics formatting thing lol it's too hit or miss so I'm just going with it lmao


	8. Alone Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly in Jughead's point of view. I hope I got it right. I'm a little nervous posting this bc I don't want to mess up anything with authenticity of Deaf representation

It had been three weeks since their memorable anniversary dinner, and Betty noticed a big change. While they had been basically attached at the hip before, Jughead could not stop touching her everywhere they went. 

It was all innocent, too. A hand over her shoulder or around her waist as they walked through the hall, a hand on her thigh as they ate lunch, drawn out farewell kisses. It seemed Jughead just couldn't get enough of her. 

It was driving Betty absolutely insane, since they hadn't had sex since their first time. They hadn't gotten any alone time to do anything except make out occasionally, and it was wearing her down. But she had a plan.

Her parents were going out of town for a journalism retreat. She and Polly were under strict orders to keep the house boy-free, but Betty was confident her sister would cover for her. So, after dropping Jughead off at home, they made out in the car until FP slapped the hood to break them up, she stopped at the local coffee shop for a bribe. 

“Polly!” She called into the empty house. “I got you coffee!” Polly ran down the stairs in a flash and took the cup greedily from Betty's hand. She took a long gulp and threw an arm around her sister. 

“You are a lifesaver, Betty, I'm studying for physics.” She made a face and Betty giggled.

“This is actually a sort of bribe,” she explained apologetically. 

“Whatever you need, consider it done,” she answered breezily. 

“I was hoping you would let me have the house to myself this weekend so Jughead could, uh, sleepover.” Her voice trailed off into a whisper, while Polly's eyes bugged out of her head. 

“You don't even need to bribe me for that,” she exclaimed. “I didn't know you guys got that far! I'll go to a friend's house. I'm so proud of you, Betty!”

“Our first time was three weeks ago, and we haven't been alone to do it since.” Her cheeks were bright pink, and her smile spread wide. 

“Three weeks ago? And you didn't tell me? I thought we told each other everything, Betty.” Polly stuck her lip out in an exaggerated pout, making Betty laugh again. 

“You've just been so busy lately, I didn't want to distract you.”

“I would welcome any distraction at this point, but this is a big one. We're going upstairs right now and you're telling me _everything. _”__

__\---_ _

__An hour after Betty and Polly waved their parents down the driveway, promising to behave while they were away, Polly was gone, and Betty was waiting for Jughead._ _

__As far as his dad was aware, he was spending the weekend with Archie, but Jughead was sure he knew what was up. But FP clearly didn't care, he just wanted his son to be happy._ _

__Jughead had specific instructions to walk in the back door, lock it behind him, and come directly to her room. Betty obviously hadn't heard him coming up the stairs, and looked like she was trying to find a sexy pose. What she didn't know though, was that in his eyes, she was sexy in any pose._ _

__“Juggie,” she gasped, finally noticing him in the doorway. He walked toward her slowly, like predator stalking prey, and spoke when he was directly in front of her._ _

__“You look stunning,” he breathed. He ran the side of his finger down her cheek and onto her neck, following the hem of her neckline. In what he hoped was a smooth succession, he took her mouth in a passionate kiss and began unbuttoning the front of her pretty dress._ _

__Betty cupped his cheek briefly, then moved to push off his flannel shirt, and then pulled back to tear off his t-shirt as well. Jughead was sure his hair was a mess, since his hat was pushed off by the collar of his shirt. He turned his attention back to the buttons on her chest, and began to fumble with them._ _

__When he got to the end of the buttons, just above her waist, he moved his hands up to her shoulders and pulled the straps down her arms. He pulled back again to admire the newly exposed skin, and groaned at the sight of her bra._ _

__It was a sheer black balconette, and Jughead immediately ducked his head to run his tongue over her stiff nipple, biting softly through the thin fabric. He reached around her back and unclasped it, and Betty let the straps trail down her arms, keeping the garment in place._ _

__She let it drop slowly between them, clearly savoring the anticipation in his eyes. The bra dropped into her lap, where her dress was bunched up, and Jughead tossed it over his shoulder before pushing her onto her back._ _

__Betty let out a high giggle as her back hit the mattress, only to be covered by a groan as Jughead crawled over her and pressed his hips against hers. She rocked upward against the hard bulge in his pants, and moved to fumble with the button on his jeans._ _

__Once she undid his pants, she shoved them over his butt and halfway down his thighs, where he then shook them down his legs. Jughead hooked his fingers into the top of her skirt, and wriggled the rest of her dress down past her hips. That's when he saw her matching panties, soaked with her arousal, and he tugged those down, too._ _

__He rummaged in his pants pocket for a condom, and shed his boxers in order to roll it on. He launched himself onto the bed and laid on his back, before reaching to Betty and rolling her on top of him._ _

__She straddled his hips eagerly, and rolled against him, drawing out a long, low moan. He put his hands on her hips to still her motions and craned his neck to meet her eyes._ _

__“I'm keeping them in this time,” he rasped, and gestured vaguely toward his ears. “I want to hear the noises you make.” Betty leaned down to kiss him tenderly, before picking up her hips and sinking down onto his throbbing cock._ _

__Her sigh of pleasure was music to his ears, and the little moans that followed once she began to move on top of him we're even better. After a few minutes of her moving and moaning on top of him, he reached up and wrapped his arms around her back before rolling over so that he was on top._ _

__He braced on his elbows and attached his mouth to her collarbone, sucking lightly, since he knew she didn't like to have hickeys. Betty's legs wrapped around his waist, and he began to thrust quickly. Her sweet voice rang in his ears as she cried out in pleasure, while Jughead panted loudly. Even with his hearing aids in this time, he was afraid to moan too loudly._ _

__“Oh my god, Juggie, yes!” She squealed as he picked up his pace, her arms tightening around his neck. “Let me hear you, baby,” she whispered, a huge contrast from her loud moans._ _

__He kissed her hard, moaning into her mouth as her tongue did that thing he loved so much. She broke off, and he moaned again as she dug her nails into his back._ _

__“Juggie, I'm close,” she whined in his ear as she pulled him impossibly closer to her chest. He shifted his weight to one arm and moved the other to her clit. He obviously did something right, because she clenched hard around his cock and threw her head back. “Oh, oh, oh,” she chanted. “Oh, oh, OH, YES!”_ _

__She fell limp beneath him, and only then did Jughead release into the condom. He slumped over her, resting lightly on her heaving torso, covered in a thin sheen of sweat. She was still throbbing around him, and it was a little overwhelming, so he pulled out and disposed of the condom before crawling back into her bed. He held her close, whispering his praises as he caught his breath beside her._ _

__“Jughead,” she breathed, “that was even better than last time.”_ _

__“I'll say. I love hearing the sounds you make. Don't get me wrong, last time was really intimate, and a really good component for our first time, but I like to hear you.”_ _

__Betty leaned forward and captured his lips in a long, slow kiss. He cupped her face lazily, matching the pace of their kiss, and she melted into his embrace. She pulled away slowly, and looked at him with humor._ _

__“I hope you don't plan on wearing any clothes this weekend,” she teased. “We have the house all to ourselves and I want easy access.”_ _

__\---_ _

__They made love three more times that weekend, and made each other cum even more. Betty hadn't been kidding about easy access. It was the perfect weekend, and it only left Jughead wanting more._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanna say thank you again, guys, for being so encouraging and supportive of this story. It means the world to me :) I love all of you so much


	9. Celebration Dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only two more after this, guys. I'm still shocked by how well received this story is.

College was brutal. Four years spent in different states was incredibly taxing, despite their semi-nightly Skype sessions and monthly visits, so it was no surprise that after graduation, Jughead immediately asked Betty to move in with him.

Of course, she agreed immediately, and they pooled every last dime they had to get a cheap studio apartment in Riverdale. Their first night there, they christened the second hand mattress on the floor, and got funny looks from the next door neighbor in the elevator the next morning. Betty didn't have it in her to feel embarrassed. She was just glad to be living with the love of her life. 

When Jughead made a deal with a publishing firm, he got a pretty hefty paycheck. To celebrate, he took Betty and her parents out to eat at an upscale restaurant a few towns over. It wasn't suit and tie fancy, but it was definitely more than either of them were used to. FP was invited, but he politely declined, citing his distaste for Alice Cooper. 

Betty laughed hard at that, knowing just how deep their feud ran. And she knew better than anyone just how trying her mother could be. With little situational awareness and no verbal filter, it was a dangerous combination that made her company a hard pill to swallow. 

But tonight, she promised to be on her best behavior. They all met up in the restaurant lobby, and Jughead spoke as smoothly as possible, “reservation for Jones.” The hostess guided them to a round table, and Betty wound up between her parents, with Jughead directly across from her. It felt a little silly not to be sitting next to him, but now she got to look at him instead of one of her parents. 

Halfway through the main course, it became apparent that Jughead chose his seat purposefully. Her father was talking about something completely uninteresting, she saw Jughead flap his hand, like he was dribbling a basketball. It was a gesture they often used to get each other's attention before using sign language, very common in the Deaf community. Betty caught his eye, and blushed a little at the impish smirk on his face. He was up to something.

His intentions were made clear when he began signing. “I can't wait to get you alone tonight.” His hands moved quickly, and Betty blushed a little more. 

“Why's that?” She felt like playing with fire and being a little naughty, so she played along.

“You look like sin in that dress,” he continued. “I can't wait to take you home and make you scream.”

Betty choked on her water a little, but recovered quickly. She glanced at her parents, but both were still engrossed in whatever they were discussing. She gulped and signed, “How?”

Jughead didn't miss a beat. “First, I'm going to peel that dress off your body. Then I'm going to spread you open on the bed and tease you till you scream. And when you finally beg, I'm going to eat your pretty pussy till the whole floor knows my name. And after you cum on my tongue, I'm going to fuck you hard till you're sore and spent.”

Betty's stomach dropped out of her body at the filth he sent her way. She was carefully controlling her breathing as she felt her panties getting wet. And the way he was spelling out most of the words so as not to be conspicuous oddly intensified her reaction. 

She must have kept her composure remarkably well, because Alice didn't suspect a thing when she asked, “What are you two discussing?” Her voice was sharp, and she was clearly agitated that she was left out if the conversation. 

“I was telling Betty about my plans to wine and dine her for our anniversary next week,” Jughead lied, winking at Betty. “I wanted to make sure she didn't have anything planned that day before I forgot.”

Alice seemed convinced by his answer, and quickly changed the subject away from her daughter's alluded sex life. “So, Jug-head, we've known you most of your life. Why haven't you ever gotten cochlear implants?” The snooty tone of her voice put Betty immediately on edge.

“That's not something you can just ask somebody, mom,” she interjected furiously. 

“It's just a question, Elizabeth,” she justified, clearly not aware of how insulting the question was. 

“No, mom, it's not just a question,” Betty seethed. “Implants are a huge, personal decision. Asking Jughead why he hasn't gotten CI’s is like asking me why I've never had my breasts done. It's offensive and rude.”

Jughead reached across the table and placed his hand gently over hers to calm her down. “It's okay, baby,” he spoke softly, before turning to Alice. “To answer your intrusive question, implants are expensive and irreversible. They don't have a 100% success rate, and the recovery is really painful. Hearing aids work just fine for me, so I'm sticking to them. But for future reference, Betty is completely right.”

Alice managed to mumble an embarrassed apology, her gaze fixed on her plate as she shuffled her food around her plate. 

When dinner was finished, everybody hurriedly refused the dessert menu, and Jughead waved off Alice's offer to split the bill. 

“My treat,” he insisted. “We're celebrating.”

As they walked to their cars, Alice put a hand on Jughead's arm. “I truly am sorry for asking earlier,” she said softly. “I didn't know it was so offensive, but I'm going to be doing more research about Deaf culture, so as not to offend you with my ignorance again.”

Betty swooned as Jughead forgave her easily. He never ceased to amaze her with his big heart and endless patience. He was simply incredible. 

Then she remembered everything he said to her at dinner, and tugged him excitedly to the car. There, she pressed her entire body against his, kissing him sensually. “Take me home, Juggie,” she sighed as his hand found her ass and squeezed. 

Later, they laid in bed, breathing heavily. He made good on all his promises and left her breathless and sated. As she stroked meaningless patterns onto his smooth chest while he drifted off to sleep, her mind kept going in circles, thinking about her mother. 

Jughead was asleep already, so Betty rolled over and pulled her journal and pen from her bedside table. She opened to a new page and began to write. 

_Dear Diary, tonight we went out to dinner to celebrate Jughead's publishing deal. Gosh, the things he said to me over dinner (in sign language) would make a porn star blush! Anyway, my mother said something ignorant, so I set her straight. When she apologized after dinner, Jughead forgave her so easily. I'm amazed every time by his heart. He is the best man on this Earth, I'm sure of it. And I'm the luckiest woman, since I get to have him. You know, when you really stop to think about it, Juggie and I are childhood sweethearts. Even though we didn't get together until high school, we were both in love. I bet he hates how cliche that is! But now it's time for sleep. Juggie is already passed out and snoring. Love, Betty ___

__Betty stowed the book and pen back in the drawer and rolled over. Jughead instinctively wrapped his arm around her, and she burrowed into his chest. His steady breathing lulled her to sleep as well, safe and warm in his arms._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a small fun fact about me, I'm a brand ambassador for bettyandveronica.com and they've got a lot of really great merch there. Use my discount code KELLEY15 for 15% off your order!!


	10. Wine and Dine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is super fluffy :):)

As it turned out, Jughead had big plans to wine and dine her for their anniversary after all. It wasn't just a cover for their inappropriate flirting at dinner with her parents. 

So Betty dressed in her nicest dress and pulled out all the stops for her hair and makeup. She couldn't believe they had actually been together for seven years. 

He took her to a fancy restaurant downtown with two Michelin stars. “Juggie, this is too much,” Betty protested once she saw the restaurant. 

“Anything for my girl,” he countered. Suddenly she felt a little inadequate. Jughead planned a luxurious, elaborate night, and what had she gotten him? A vintage typewriter. Granted, he had been eyeing that particular model for almost a decade, but it still fell short in her eyes. 

When it came time for dessert, Jughead ordered for them and the waiter gave him a knowing look. Betty was very confused, but brushed it off. Their chocolate cake came within minutes, and there was something shiny laying on top of it. 

She looked closer, and realized it was a diamond engagement ring. “Juggie,” she breathed, choking on emotion. Jughead smiled at her, and took the ring off the top of the cake. He got down on one knee, and Betty began to tear up. 

“Betty Cooper,” he grinned widely. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes,” she choked out with a sob. “Yes of course!” Happy tears streamed down her face as Jughead slid the ring onto her finger. She stood as Jughead hauled himself to his feet, and they met in a sweet celebratory kiss. Tables around them burst into applause as they continued to kiss. It was a perfect moment, and the one thing that would make it better was eating their cake. 

That night, they celebrated thoroughly, and Betty couldn't stop smiling. The ring was still on her finger, and every time she looked at the big white diamond, a new smile graced her lips. 

Jughead fell asleep first, like he always did, and Betty pulled out her journal. 

_Dear Diary, Jughead proposed!!! I was so surprised, but even now, hours later, I can't stop smiling! We haven't had time to announce anything, so I just needed to get this out somewhere. But now I just want to curl up with my fiance. Love, Betty ___

__\---_ _

__“Juggie, who do you want to invite?”_ _

__They were compiling a guest list for the wedding, preparing to send out invitations and communicating in sign._ _

__“Is my mom on the list?”_ _

__“No. I didn't think you would want her there.” Jellybean was listed, but definitely not Gladys._ _

__“I still want to invite her. She's my mom after all.”_ _

__Betty heaved a frustrated sigh, preparing for a rare, full-on argument. “Do you really think that's a good idea? I mean, what's going to happen when she's in the same room as FP? And I know my mom will want to tear her eyes out. She doesn't like to show it, but she thinks of you as a son.”_ _

__“Betty, I know she's not a good mom. She abandoned me, for fuck’s sake. But she's still my mom. I feel like she has the right to know we're getting married.”_ _

__“You have such a good heart, Jughead, but is this really the right decision? A lot of things could go horribly wrong. I really don't think this is a good idea.”_ _

__Jughead's face was showing more and more anger, as his signs became harsh and choppy. “You don't have to agree, you just have to trust me. I really want my mom to be there.”_ _

__Betty took another sigh. Clearly this was really important to him, despite what could and would go wrong. “Okay, I'll write her down. I'm sorry, baby.”_ _

__The anger in his face faded and he smiled gratefully at her. “I'm sorry too. Thank you.”_ _

__She stood and wrapped her arms around his torso, leaning into him. He held her gently and rocked back and forth a little._ _

__“I hate when we fight,” he rasped. “We're always so in sync, it rarely happens. But when it does, it sucks.”_ _

__“Agreed,” Betty mumbled into his shoulder._ _

__Three weeks later, she held him as he mourned his mother's second rejection, stroking his hair as he laid in her lap. Her heart broke for the man she loved, as tears refused to fall from his eyes._ _

__“It's okay to cry, Juggie,” she soothed, stroking his cheek with her thumb. “It's okay to feel this pain.”_ _

__“I brought this on myself,” he groaned. “You told me it wasn't a good idea, but I pushed anyway. I just didn't think it would hurt as much as the first time.”_ _

__“I don't think it will ever stop hurting,” she sighed. “But you're so strong, Juggie. I know you'll get through this and come out better. That's just the kind of man you are.”_ _

__He sat up and kissed her softly, before getting up from the couch. “I'm going to shower and sleep,” he explained, and Betty nodded. She would be there for him in every step of this grief, but now he needed time alone._ _

__\---_ _

__Planning their wedding had been stressful, especially during their fight, but after a year's engagement, Betty was all set to walk down the aisle. They were getting married on their anniversary, which seemed like the only logical option. Why have multiple dates to keep straight when you only needed one?_ _

__As she made her way to the altar on Hal's arm, her eyes shone with happy tears. Jughead's eyes all but bugged out of his head when he saw her, and tears fell unashamedly from his eyes. One of her favorite things about him was that he wasn't afraid to show emotion._ _

__She reached the altar, and they joined hands in front of the officiant. Betty couldn't stop smiling, or tear her gaze away from her almost-husband._ _

__Their vows were traditional, since everything either of them could think to say had been said repeatedly in private. They were both crying happy tears as they signed the words to each other, and Jughead actually had to stop and compose himself._ _

__When the officiant declared them husband and wife, Jughead didn't wait for permission before sweeping Betty into his arms and dipping her romantically. Everybody in the pews swooned at their loving display and applauded generously as they ran down the aisle._ _

__When they reached the reception venue, they were swarmed by guests, all offering excessive congratulations. They could only slip away when the DJ announced it was time for their first dance._ _

__Jughead led her onto the floor to much applause. Betty leaned her head on his chest as they swayed to the gentle music. They were silent, simply basking in each other's presence, and Jughead was reluctant to pull away when the song ended._ _

__He kissed her forehead and muttered, “I just want you all to myself.” Betty shivered against him and melted into his touch._ _

__“Later,” she whispered and pressed a kiss at the corner of his jaw, just beneath his ear. He, too, shivered and they broke apart when the DJ boomed, “The bride and groom, everyone!”_ _


	11. Happy Ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the last chapter

Betty had just finished icing the triple layer funfetti cake when the first guest knocked on the door. It was Jughead's 30th birthday, and their family was coming over for a party.

Jughead answered the door, and embraced his father in a tight, back slapping hug. JB was right behind him, holding their joint gift, which appeared to be a bottle of very nice Scotch. 

While her husband made small talk with his dad and sister, Betty snuck away to get dressed for the party. She had a new dress waiting in the back of her closet, as well as a special surprise for the birthday boy. She slipped on the dress, which was a sweet pastel blue. The bodice was structured well and the skirt flowed to her knees and covered the tops of her stockings. Nobody would suspect a thing. 

Hal and Alice arrived shortly after FP and Jellybean, and also brought expensive looking alcohol. Her father and Jughead exchanged an excessively firm handshake, and Alice nodded her head. 

Polly, who was newly pregnant and just beginning to show arrived with her boyfriend. Betty had met him a couple times and thought he was perfect for her sister. He even called her one day for advice on how to propose, so every time she saw her sister, Betty was on the lookout for a ring.

While everyone was munching on the delicious appetizers she made, and sipping her notorious cocktails, Betty retreated into the kitchen to finish preparing the main course. Jughead followed her, unnoticed by their guests, and Betty jumped when his hands wrapped around her waist from behind. 

“You look so beautiful tonight, Betty,” he whispered, kissing her neck. “This dress is wonderful, but I can't wait to see what's underneath it.”

Betty let out a soft moan as he pulled her flush against him, feeling his erection poking her back. “I'll give you a hint,” she purred. “I wore it on our wedding night.”

“Shit,” Jughead gasped. “Your wedding lingerie?” Betty nodded and he groaned. He started kissing her neck again and whispered, “Maybe we can sneak away for a little peek?”

“Juggie, we have guests,” she giggled, starting to pull away from his amorous advances. He pulled her right back against him, and she melted into his touch. 

“We can kick them out. It's my birthday, after all.” 

Betty was about to sway his chest playfully and protest again, but her mother walked in. 

“You two look awfully cozy,” she observed in a clipped tone. Betty jumped and tried to pull away from her husband's embrace, before remembering that she was an adult in her own home. 

“I was wondering where the man of the hour had wandered off to, but it wasn't hard to guess. The way you two struggle to keep your hands off each other, it's a wonder I don't have any grandchildren yet!”

The couple shuffled awkwardly under Alice's appraisal. Jughead had a pained expression on his face, and Betty was looking at the floor. 

“Oh, I'm sorry, is that a sore point between the two of you? Because that's something you should have figured out when you got married. And you're not exactly getting any younger, Elizabeth-”

“Oh my god, mom!” Betty cut her off angrily. “It's none of your business what our sex life is like, or any marital strifes we might be having. And for the record, we decided long ago not to have kids. We enjoy sleeping through the night, thanks.”

“Well that's incredibly selfish, don't you think? What about your father and me? What about FP? You don't think we deserve grandkids? Believe me, a few lost hours of sleep is well worth it to raise a child.”

“Polly is pregnant right now!” Betty's voice was beginning to raise, and soon the rest of the party would be drawn to the conversation in the kitchen. “You'll have grandkids, just not from us. You should be grateful for what you have in front of you, instead of digging your heels in elsewhere.”

Alice didn't know what to say to that, so she turned on her heel and stomped off. 

“You handled that well, baby,” Jughead muttered against her neck, his lips taking position there once again. “I think you may have gotten through to her about Polly, too. She's over there rubbing your sister's stomach.” 

He chuckled softly, and the burst of air on her skin gave her goosebumps. She leaned back against him once more as she finished plating the chicken skewers. “I can't wait until it's just the two of us,” she whispered, and promptly left the kitchen to serve the chicken. 

The night passed amicably, with no further mention of any kids Betty and Jughead would never have. They all shared their favorite stories of Jughead, and even Polly's boyfriend laughed about how terrified he first was of the dark, stoic man married to his girlfriend's sister. 

Betty, of course, shared the story of how they first met, and how infatuated she became after that first kiss. Everybody awe’d in the right moments, and Jughead kissed her chastely when she finished. Betty snuggled up to him as everybody went around again, and he kissed her temple. 

“When can we start kicking everybody out,” he murmured. Betty shook her head and leaned on his shoulder. 

“Soon, my love.”

\---

Two hours later, they were waving FP and Jellybean out the door. They were the last ones to leave, and Betty was happy to see them go. She loved them dearly, but she had a husband to seduce.

Jughead went to use the restroom, and Betty paused to clear the empty serving dishes. She was glad they used small paper plates and ate finger foods, so there were less dishes to clean up. 

When she got to the bedroom, Jughead was already naked in their bed. He jokingly tried to strike a pose, and Betty laughed appreciatively at his attempt. She reached around to undo her zipper, and Jughead flew off the bed. 

“Let me, please,” he breathed, holding her wrists gently. “I've been thinking about this moment all evening.”

She giggled and turned around, wanting to make the anticipation greater. He pulled the zipper down slowly, then pulled the straps of the dress down her arms. Betty gasped at the feeling of the fabric grazing her nipples as the dress fell down and pooled around her feet. She turned around and wrapped her arms around Jughead's neck, his jaw agape. 

Betty stood before him in sheer white stockings topped with lace. They were attached to a matching lace garter belt over sheer white panties. Her torso was bare, except for the lacy half cup bra, designed for aesthetic purposes and not at all for support. Her rosy nipples stiffened under the cool air of their bedroom, and begged for his attention. 

“It's just like I remembered,” Jughead whispered, his eyes full of want and voice full of need as he dug his fingers into her hips. “Except somehow, you're even more beautiful.”

Betty melted for the second time that night, his smooth words working her into putty. He unclasped her bra, and laid her on the bed, carefully removing every piece of her pure white lingerie. She was already reduced to a whimpering mess as Jughead finally, _finally _slid her soaking panties down her legs.__

__He spread her legs quickly, and Betty gasped at the unexpected blast of cold air against her heated core. Jughead paused right before he put his mouth on her._ _

__“Remember the rules, baby,” he teased. “You can't cum until I say so.” Betty nodded weakly, overwhelmed by her arousal. It was such sweet torture when he did this._ _

__He licked into her slowly, and quickly sped up. Within minutes, Betty was gasping, warning him she was ready to let go. He pulled away, and Betty laid there for a minute, breathing heavily. When her breaths became less labored, he dove back in._ _

__He repeated this process twice more, and Betty was ready to kill him. After the third or fourth time he pulled back (she couldn't think straight anymore) Jughead crawled up over her body and kissed her hard. He eased into her soaking center and her back arched in pleasure._ _

__“I'm not going to last long, baby,” he panted as he thrusted frantically. “So as soon as you're ready, you can cum.” Betty nodded feebly, already feeling her orgasm cresting._ _

__Seconds later, her eyes squeezed shut and her head fell back as her mouth opened in a wide O shape. She came so hard, she couldn't feel anything else besides Jughead's cock inside her, and her entire body shook from the effort._ _

__She sagged back against the mattress, completely spent. Jughead released inside her moments later, and he too collapsed. He rested his forehead on hers and they started into each other's eyes as they caught their breath._ _

__“Such a good girl,” he praised, stroking her cheek lovingly. “Always so obedient.” He rolled off her and pulled her into his chest. They were sweaty and tired, and Betty didn't have the energy to clean herself up._ _

__Jughead must have sensed this, since he went and got a damp washcloth from the bathroom. He gently wiped between her thighs, and tossed the rag halfhazardly toward the laundry hamper, missing by several feet. He grunted in apathy, muttering something about _in the morning. _____

____He laid back down and curled into Betty's side. His hearing aids were still in, and Betty figured he still wanted to talk about something._ _ _ _

____She brushed his hair off his still sweaty forehead and smiled softly. “Did you have a good birthday, Juggie?”_ _ _ _

____“The best,” he replied tenderly. “I have a kick-ass wife who threw me a party and then blew my mind in the bedroom.” They both laughed softly, and Jughead caressed her face. “Are you still sure you don't want kids? Sometimes I feel like I'm limiting you in that area.”_ _ _ _

____“Of course I'm sure, Juggie,” Betty sighed exasperatedly. “You're not limiting me in any way at all.” Jughead let out a sigh of relief, and Betty smiled at the air tickling across her face. She burrowed closer into him, wanting nothing more than to fall asleep surrounded by the scent of her wonderful husband. She felt him shift and twist, and she knew he was removing his hearing aids. He settled back in and held her tight against him. The soothing pattern of his breathing lulled her to sleep, and her diary laid in her drawer, forgotten for the evening. She didn't really need it anyway._ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seriously cannot thank you enough, guys. Ever comment made me smile uncontrollably. Almost every time I opened my ao3 tab on my phone, there were new messages in my inbox. I seriously cannot stress enough how validated and loved your responses made me feel :) so thank you thank you thank you for being so amazing <3


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